Asian handicap explained: what +1.5, -0.75 and 0 mean

In many matches one team is a clear favourite. Backing it at 1.30 isn't very interesting, and backing the underdog at 9.00 rarely pays. A handicap evens the contest: the favourite starts behind on the bet, the underdog starts ahead, and both sides end up priced near 1.90.

Asian handicap (AH) removes the draw as a separate outcome. That's the key difference from the 1X2 market. It's settled on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, with the handicap added to your team's goals.

How to settle any Asian handicap bet:

1. Take the final score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
2. Add the handicap to your team's goals (a minus handicap is subtracted).
3. If your team is still ahead, you win. If it's behind, you lose. If it's level, your stake is refunded (a "push").
4. If the line is a quarter line, split your stake in two and settle each half on the two nearest lines.

Half-goal lines are the simplest, because a team can't score half a goal. There's always a winner and a loser, never a refund.

• -0.5: your team must win. It's the same as a straight home or away win in the 1X2.
• +0.5: your team must win or draw. It's the same as double chance (1X or X2).
• -1.5: your team must win by two goals or more.
• +1.5: your team must not lose by two goals or more. A win, a draw, or a one-goal defeat all win the bet.

What does +1.5 mean?

+1.5 adds one and a half goals to your team's score. Say you back the underdog at +1.5 and it loses 2-1. Add 1.5 to its score: 2.5 against 2. It's ahead on the handicap, so your bet wins. Only a defeat by two goals or more beats a +1.5 bet.

On whole lines the handicap can land exactly level. When it does, your stake is returned.

• 0 (level ball): your team must win; a draw is a refund. It's the same as draw no bet.
• -1: win by two or more and you win; win by exactly one and you're refunded; draw or lose and you lose.
• +1: win or draw and you win; lose by exactly one and you're refunded; lose by two or more and you lose.

Quarter lines look strange at first, but they're just two bets in one. Your stake is split equally across the two neighbouring lines.

Some bookmakers write quarter lines in split form, so -0.75 appears as "-0.5, -1" and +0.25 as "0, +0.5". It's exactly the same bet. Whichever way it's written, the price shown applies to both halves of your stake.

That's how you get half wins and half losses: one half wins (or loses) and the other is refunded.

Use these two tables to settle any common line. The first covers the team giving goals (minus lines), the second the team receiving goals (plus lines). Results are from your team's point of view.

The two sides of a line always mirror each other. If the favourite at -0.75 has a half win, the underdog at +0.75 has a half loss on the same result.

Several AH lines are other markets in disguise, which makes it easy to compare prices:

If the AH price is higher than the matching 1X2, double chance or draw no bet price at the same bookmaker, the AH market is the better buy for the same outcome. Because AH markets are usually priced with a lower margin, that's often the case.

A European handicap (sometimes just "handicap" or "3-way handicap") also gives a team a goal start, but it keeps the draw as a separate outcome. That means three choices and no refunds.

Asian handicap markets often have lower margins than European handicaps, because the two-way structure is more competitive. That's one reason many experienced bettors prefer them.

Every line has a price, and the lines step smoothly from one to the next. For a favourite, you might see -0.5 at 1.70, -0.75 at 1.90 and -1 at 2.10 (example odds). Moving one quarter at a time changes both the price and the risk.

• If you think the favourite wins but maybe narrowly, -0.5 or -0.75 suit you.
• If you expect a comfortable win, -1 or -1.5 pay more but need a bigger margin.
• If you think the underdog will keep it close, +0.5 to +1.5 give you a cushion.

Your choice should follow your view of the likely goal difference, not the price you'd like. Goal expectations from over/under prices, xG and team numbers on our stats pages are a good starting point. You can browse match odds and picks on our predictions pages and compare handicap prices across bookmakers.

• Forgetting the minus. -1.5 needs a two-goal win; +1.5 survives a one-goal defeat. Mixing them up is the classic error.
• Thinking quarter lines are a separate bet. They're your stake split in two. A half win isn't a full win.
• Confusing AH with European handicap. On a European handicap -1, a one-goal win loses; on AH -1 it's a refund.
• Counting extra time. Like most football markets, AH is settled on 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
• Choosing the line after picking the price. Decide what goal difference you expect, then find the line and price that match it.